June 2008 Trestleboard Robert Burns #243

June has been so busy with our last stated meeting, Grand Lodge Communications, and finally two degrees that you wouldn’t know that we’re suppose to be dark. But it’s been fun!!

Congratulations to Michael L. Sanders, our new Junior Grand Warden. The Annual Communication of Grand Lodge went very well; most notably the two resolutions requiring Proficiency in Lodge Management to be elected Master went down to defeat. You’ll be happy to know that our line officers have all agreed to do the Proficiency even though it is not a requirement.

Mark your calendars: we will be going camping at the Masonic Campground in Granite Falls on the weekend of the 12^th and 13^th of July. This is an all District 8 campout and there are only so many reserved spots, so if you haven’t RSVP'ed to me by now, do so immediately so I can insure that we have enough space for everyone. There will be a big breakfast Saturday morning and a pot luck dinner Saturday night with roasted turkey as the main dish. If nothing else, plan on coming up for the day and have dinner with us.

There will be no meeting before the Evergreen Fair (except for a special communication or two if necessary for Degree work), so if you can work the fair on August 29 or have already signed up for a shift please e-mail me with your full name, date of birth, and the time you can work. The name and birthday are required for a quick background check. If I don’t supply this information to WB Howard Ballou before our date, those brothers will not be issued an entry pass and cannot work the booth (State Law/requirement). We have Job’s Daughters and DeMolay helping to man the booth as well.

Last of all, I hope everyone has a enjoyable and safe summer and hopefully our paths will cross at some of the great events planned over the next two months. If not, we’ll see you in Lodge in September.

It has been a few years since Robert Burns Lodge awarded a scholarship. It has been our practice to award these to a member of one of the Masonic youth organizations associated with our Lodge. It has been suggested that we widen the scope of those eligible to the families of our Lodge members. What are your thoughts? Think about it over the summer as it may be one of the first topics discussed in Lodge when we return to our labors.

A few weeks ago my sister gave me a copy of Life magazine dated October 8th, 1956. On the cover were the then current Grand Masters from every state. The article on Freemasonry was interesting but was similar to that which we might see today with one exception. It said 1 of every 12 adult males in the United States were Masons; I doubt that is a statistic we can claim today.

The advertisements were what really caught my eye. We no longer see ads for tobacco products but the pedaling of whiskey and other sprits is much the same as today. 1956 front loading clothes washing machines promised to save water and wear and tear on your clothes. Today the manufactures throw in saving energy and helping to "Green" our world. Bendix offered a machine that would not only wash but also dry laundry. Good idea but I don't think Bendix was very successful with that one.

50 years ago Amana made a refrigerator with the freezer compartment on the bottom, Heinz made catsup, Firestone made tires, Bayer made aspirin, Kellogg's made corn flakes, Ipana made toothpaste, Rayon cords in tires made them safer, NBC television was broadcast in color, we were to start our day right with Wildroot Cream-oil in our hair, the new 1957 Lewt Power Cleaner could vacuum carpets, bare floors and drapes, Blue Bell clothes were low priced and long wearing, Seaforth aftershave was mighty masculine and I. W. Harper bourbon was available in a handy "Traveller" that fit in your pocket.

Had Freemasonry been going the way of many of these products? All, I'm sure, were good and provided value but some have endured while others have disappeared. The same can be said of many fraternal organizations while many have fallen by the wayside, Freemasonry has continued to be the oldest and largest fraternal group.

We need to constantly looking at what we do right, how we can improve and discover the path to reclaim the statement "1 in every 12 adult males" is a Mason.

Frederick A Bartholdi, a freemason, designed the statue of Liberty in NY harbor. Grand Lodge of NY laid the corner stone on August 5, 1885.

"Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory. Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know Thee—and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge. Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail. Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past. And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength. Then, I, his father, will dare to whisper, "I have not lived in vain."